1. Technical Field
This invention relates to automated warehouse systems and more particularly to a tote pan and rack structure for a small parts or mini-load storage and retrieval system.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
Heretofore others have devised small parts or mini-load warehousing systems wherein tote pans are slid into and out of rack compartments at opposite sides of an aisle by an extractor mechanism. Some such systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,809,259 issued May 7, 1974 to George R. Pipes; U.S. Pat. No. 3,883,008 issued May 13, 1975 to John A. Castaldi and U.S. Pat. No. 4,010,855 issued Mar. 8, 1977 to Joseph F. Smith wherein an extractor mechanism on a crane carriage has a finger engagable with a lip or bracket at the lower front portion of the tote pan to slide it into or out of a rack storage compartment at either side of an aisle. The problem of wear due to sliding the tote pan has been recognized and alleviated to some extent by material selection and provision of replaceable wear strips such as nylon strips 42 in before mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 3,809,259.
In the portable tray cart shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,721,349, downward projections on the tray rim cooperate with notches in support rails on the portable cart to releasably retain the tray in place on the cart. A rimmed storage pan is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,448,870 issued June 10, 1969 to J. R. Gallo et al. A tote pan with reverse bend lips with apertures cooperating with vertical projections on lift forks of a lift truck is illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,918,600 issued Nov. 11, 1975 to G. T. Lyon. A relatively open storage rack is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,894,641 issued July 14, 1959 to L. E. Edwards, Jr. wherein pallets are supported on rails supported on vertical supports reinforced by horizontally disposed channels.